Discovery Channel's Curiosity Is a Thought-Provoking Hour of Television

Most everything you've ever wondered about will be explored in this ambitious new series.

Curiosity is a fitting title for the new Discovery Channel series premiering August 7 at 8pm ET. If you’ve ever wondered whether fear is healthy or if it might be possible to live forever, here is a series that will explore those intriguing questions and more.

John Hendricks, founder of the Discovery Channel, created the program that “brings the ‘I wonder’ moment to television with a unique blend of eclectic and provocative subjects." Among the subjects covered in this ambitious 60-episode series are “Could We Survive An Alien Invasion?”, hosted by Lost star Michelle Rodriguez, and “Why Is Sex Fun,” hosted by Maggie Gyllenhall. Parallel universes, time travel, cavemen, and bacteria are other topics that will be delved into along the way.

“We all wonder,” says Hendricks. “Curiosity is the driving force in every discovery that has advanced our civilization. Each week, the Curiosity series will capture that fundamental sense of wonder and present an engaging visualization of our minds’ search for answers.”

In the premiere episode, Professor Stephen Hawking poses the question “Did God Create the Universe?” Hawking takes us on a trip back through time tracing the “ancient discoveries of Artistocus and Galileo to the scientific breakthroughs of Einstein” to explain his vision of how we came to be. Those who believe there is some spiritual force guiding us might not be too sympathetic to Hawking’s theories. However, they are presented in a scientific yet entertaining manner. To get the most out of the program, you'll need to keep an open mind.

To Discovery Channel’s credit, opposing viewpoints will be represented. At 9pm ET, following the premiere of Curiosity, a special roundtable discussion will be presented, featuring well-known theologians challenging Hawking’s findings and theories.

With a wealth of thought-provoking topics to explore, Curiosity is a series that is sure to spark its share of controversy and debate. Don’t be surprised if you’re still mulling these shows over long after the week’s episode has aired.

Mindy Peterman is a freelance writer whose focus is on television, movies and pop culture. She has written over one hundred articles for the award winning Blogcritics.org website and has conducted interviews with producer Peter Asher, psychic-medium John Edward, Greg Grunberg and Bob Guiney from Band…